According to the results of the nationwide survey “The State of Corruption in Ukraine 2024: Perception, Experience, Attitudes,” conducted by the Public Engagement Program “Get Involved!”, corruption remains one of the country’s most significant issues, despite its declining presence in daily life.
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The survey revealed that although Ukrainians encounter corruption less frequently, most still view it as a serious threat. In 2024, 92% of respondents consider corruption a major national problem, second only to the war. Over the last two decades, citizens have remained concerned about corruption: 90% in 2007, 93% in 2009, 92% in 2011, and 94% in 2015, 2018, and 2021. Despite a slight decrease to 89% in 2023, the overall trend of high concern regarding corruption remains consistent.
Political corruption remains a particularly acute issue, underlining the ongoing relevance of this problem at all levels of government.
Rejection of corruption and bribery
A positive trend has emerged in how citizens view bribery and other forms of corruption. In 2024, 54% of Ukrainians categorically reject giving bribes or offering unofficial services to resolve personal matters, marking a significant increase from 37% in 2015. However, internally displaced persons (IDPs) are more likely to justify unofficial services compared to the general population.
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The role of civil society in the fight against corruption
The survey also shows that citizens see themselves as crucial players in the fight against corruption. In 2024, 74% of Ukrainians believe that ordinary citizens can play a significant role in overcoming corruption, despite a decrease in the number of people who believe in the effectiveness of government efforts to combat corruption (from 50% in 2023 to 32% in 2024). Regarding government bodies, only 19% of respondents believe the President’s Office is actively fighting corruption, compared to 53% in 2023, with local and regional authorities receiving even lower ratings—10% and 16%, respectively. This reflects the growing reliance of Ukrainians on civil society to combat corruption.
Corruption in daily life
Corruption in daily life remains at historically low levels, with only 15% of respondents reporting that they or their families encountered corruption over the past year. This is a significant decrease compared to 61% in 2007. However, there are regional differences in how corruption is perceived. The residents of Mykolaiv (69%) and Poltava (66%) regions are most concerned about the increase in corruption over the past year. In contrast, Dnipropetrovsk (36%) and Kyiv (40%) report much lower levels of perceived corruption, indicating less impact of the issue in these regions. An exception is Vinnytsia region, where 8% of respondents indicated that corruption levels have decreased.
Corruption among displaced persons
Internally displaced persons (IDPs) face the highest level of corruption (18%) among all respondent groups, suggesting barriers to accessing administrative and social services. They also tend to rely more on personal connections to solve problems compared to the general population. Externally displaced persons (EDPs), though they encounter corruption less frequently, are more likely to avoid discussing it, which may indicate limited interaction with Ukrainian institutions abroad.
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Increasing corruption in critical sectors
From 2021 to 2024, there was a significant rise in corruption cases in several key sectors. Citizens reported encountering more corruption in secondary education, with incidents increasing from 22% in 2023 to 29% in 2024, though this figure is still lower than the 44% reported in 2021. In the healthcare sector, corruption rose to 26% in 2024, compared to 24% in 2021, although it peaked at 39% in 2023. Corruption within the National Police also increased from 18% in 2023 to 25% in 2024. The land use sector saw one of the largest increases—from 14% in 2023 to 25% in 2024. Corruption cases in the tax sector rose from 6% in 2023 to 13% in 2024. Urban residents and people aged 30-44 were the most affected, with 19% reporting that they or their families had encountered corruption.
Demand for effective anti-corruption measures
The need for strengthened anti-corruption measures remains urgent: 92% of Ukrainians view corruption as a serious problem, yet only 32% trust the effectiveness of government initiatives, significantly lower than 50% in 2023. While citizens rarely encounter corruption (15% in 2024 compared to 61% in 2007), the perception of systemic corruption remains high, particularly in sectors like education, healthcare, and law enforcement, where bribery cases have increased since 2021.
Although the number of citizens willing to fight corruption has risen (49% in 2024, compared to 26% in 2021), their active engagement is limited by concerns for safety and distrust in existing corruption reporting mechanisms. Only 10% of citizens reported encountering corruption, pointing to significant barriers to effective participation in anti-corruption efforts. Meanwhile, 54% of Ukrainians strongly reject bribery, underscoring their demand for responsible leadership and concrete actions in high-risk sectors, as well as increased support for civic activism, especially for displaced persons, who often have to rely on informal networks to access services.
Methodology
This survey is the 7th stage of the Nationwide Survey on “The State of Corruption in Ukraine. Perception, Experience, Attitudes.” It was conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) from June to August 2024. The survey included 13,151 respondents from three representative groups: the general population, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and externally displaced persons (EDPs). The methodology included stratified random sampling for the general population, face-to-face interviews for IDPs, and a combination of online and phone surveys for EDPs. The margin of error is ±1.5% with a 95% confidence interval. The survey has been conducted regularly since 2007 by the “Get Involved!” Program, with support from USAID, providing critical insights into public perceptions and experiences of corruption in Ukraine.
About the “Get Involved!” program
The “Get Involved!” Program aims to increase public awareness and participation in civic activities at national, regional, and local levels. The program’s goal is to enhance public monitoring and citizen involvement in governance processes, which are essential in combating corruption and improving public services in Ukraine.
